Padmaavat: Yogi Adityanath-led UP government will not ban Bhansali’s film, according to report

Even as Gujarat, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh said that they would not lift bans on the controversial film, Padmaavat, Yogi Adityanath-led Uttar Pradesh gave Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s film a green signal, according to a report.

Deepika Padukone’s Padmaavat has reportedly been rescheduled for a January 25 release.

Even as Gujarat, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh said that they would not lift bans on the controversial film, Padmaavat, Yogi Adityanath-led Uttar Pradesh gave Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s film a green signal, according to a report. The film was recently cleared by the Central Board of Film Certification with a U/A certificate.

A Times of India report says that the film will release as planned on January 25, although no official confirmation regarding the release date has been issued. “Now that the filmmaker has incorporated the changes suggested by the Censor Board, I see no reason why the release of the film should be stopped,” reported TOI, quoting a ‘top government official’.

The CBFC had asked Bhansali to modify five scenes in the film, and to change the title. The film’s social media pages were updated to reflect this change. “The makers have submitted the final film with agreed five modifications which have already been communicated and a U/A certificate has been given to the film. CBFC’s process is complete and any further news about cuts is absolutely untrue. Let’s refrain from utilising CBFC’s name unnecessarily,” CBFC chief Prasoon Joshi told IANS.

Lokendra Singh Kalvi, Chief of Karni Sena of Rajput during a Press Conference against Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Padmavat Movie at Press Club of India in New Delhi.
(Sanchit Khanna/HT PHOTO)

Gujarat CM Vijay Rupani, however, refused to lift the ban, placed prior to the Gujarat Assembly Elections, held in December. “We had banned the film’s release before polls, and that order still stays. We have not revoked it, hence there is no question of the film being released in the state,” he said.

Throughout the past week, several members of the Karni Sena have resumed their protest against the film. Over 150 individuals were arrested in Mumbai. The film had been postponed from its original December 21 release date after members of the fringe group staged protests and threatened violence against Bhansali and lead actor Deepika Padukone.